


Private Matters

by skreev



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Humor, Mystery, Post-Time Skip, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29524107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skreev/pseuds/skreev
Summary: When Ingrid goes missing, Dimitri fears the worst. He and the other men of the Blue Lions try to find her. All of them, except Sylvain that is. What is Sylvain hiding? And why doesn't he seem to care that Ingrid has disappeared?
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 16
Kudos: 46





	Private Matters

Something is wrong.

Dimitri can feel it in his bones: a dull aching worry and a premonition of danger.

“Hm, it is very mysterious,” Ashe agrees. “I’m glad you brought me on this! I already solved the case of the kitchen caper. I’ll be sure to solve this one as well.”

Dimitri paces the length of the stables. He has assembled his best men. His best women are engaged elsewhere, or at least that was what Annette and Mercedes said after they finished giggling. As if this were a laughing matter!

“I don’t get it,” Felix says. “Why do you think something happened?”

“It is highly unusual,” Dedue says. “His Highness had a simple request, but when we could not locate her to ask, we alarmed by the possibility.”

“The possibility of what?” 

Dimitri slams his fist against the stable wall. “That something has happened to Ingrid!”

Ever since they reclaimed Fhridiad, Ingrid had been acting oddly. During their marches, she had been unusually distant, often staring into space for long periods of time. When Sylvain had made a dumb comment, she didn’t hit him or bat an eye. And then there were the letters—little messages scrawled on red paper, stuffed in her bag or secreted into the leaves of her books. Whenever she found one, it always caused such distress that she had to disappear immediately to recover.

And now she was missing. All day, Dimitri and Dedue had been looking for her, to no avail. Summoning Ashe and Felix was a dire last resort—an acknowledgment that something terrible may have truly happened.

“It could be the money situation in Galatea,” Dedue says, as calm and measured as ever. “I understand that the nobility is often embarrassed to ask for assistance in these matters.”

“What if she’s been kidnapped into marriage!” Ashe exclaims. “She did say that she’s had a rather pushy suitor lately."

“This is the most highly fortified place north of Merceus,” Felix says. “Who would dare break in here just to marry someone?”

“We need to search the entire monastery,” Dimitri says. “Even if it turns out to be nothing, I want to be reassured that Ingrid is safe. I will not lose another friend so easily.”

Dedue hums in thought. “If I might ask, where is Sylvain? Perhaps, he might know where she has gone.”

Dimitri snaps his fingers. “That is an excellent thought.”

“Probably off with another woman,” Felix scoffs. “I swear, he’s worse than usual.”

Dimitri nods. Sharing a bedroom wall with Sylvain has never been a peaceful situation. In his school days, Dimitri used to shove wax plugs into his ears just to get any rest. In the past week, he swears he’s heard a woman in there every night.

The four Blue Lion men march towards the dorms. Sure enough, as they approach Sylvain’s room, they hear noises through the door: the creak of the bed, a muffled giggle, a few indistinguishable words. Seems like Sylvain does have company after all.

As soon as Dimitri’s knuckles rake against the door, the noises on the other side end. They wait. Silence pervades the hall. Dimitri almost thinks that they imagined it—that the noises had drifted in from another room. But not Felix. He pushes past Dimitri and pummels the door.

“Come on, Sylvain. We know you’re in there!”

The floorboards bend. The creak of the bed and the shuffle of clothing quickly follow. The door opens. Sylvain fills the opening. His hair is tousled; his lips chapped red.

“Hey, guys, what can I do you for?” he says, a little hastily.

Felix studies him and scoffs. “I thought you said you were done with women?”

“I am!” he protests.

“Who is in your room?”

Sylvain coughs and rubs the back of his neck. “No one! Why would you think that?”

Ashe points to the evidence. “You missed a button.”

Sylvain’s eyes widen as he glances down. Sure enough, his shirt hangs unevenly. His hands fumble to cover the gaping hole between his buttons.

“Well, can you blame a guy? There’s not much going on today. Not like I’m missing out on anything important.”

Dimitri knows that he is not in a position to chastise anyone’s behavior, but Sylvain’s callous disregard for women begins to grate at him. How little Sylvain has changed since his schoolboy days. Dimitri would have thought that the war would have reminded him of his priorities.

“Not missing anything important!” Ashe exclaims. “Ingrid is missing!”

Sylvain freezes. “Ingrid is…what?”

“I am surprised that you have not noticed,” Dedue says. “Considering how close the two of you seem to be.”

“No, wait, are you sure?” Sylvain frowns. “Why do you think that?”

“Nobody saw her after dinner last night, and she did not show for breakfast,” Felix says.

“I just saw her this morning,” Sylvain says. “I’m sure you guys just missed her.”

“Where did you see her?” Dimitri asks. “We have urgent matters we must discuss with her.”

“Uh…in the stables?”

Felix’s eyes narrow. “Why were you in the stables this morning?”

“My turn to muck the stalls,” Sylvain said. “Why are you guys getting on my case? I’m sure Ingrid is fine.”

“We just came from the stables,” Ashe says. “No one saw her there.”

“No one said anything about you either,” Felix said. “Are you trying to get out of looking for her? Is your latest hookup really worth it?”

Dimitri shakes his head. “Really, Sylvain, I thought better of you. All these years, all that Ingrid has done for you, and you callously toss her to the side every time a new woman comes into view.”

“Yes!” Ashe agrees with vigor. “I almost wonder if you’re trying to hurt her!”

Sylvain bites his knuckle. For a second, he disappears entirely into thought before his head slowly starts to nod. “You’re all right. Look, I’ll come help you find, Ingrid.” His gaze drifts back to the room. “But I need a few minutes first.”

Felix’s furrows his brow. “Really? You need to finish things up with your floozy?”

“You know what, you’re right.” Sylvain slides into the hallway, closing the door behind him as he does so. “Who needs shoes! Let’s find Ingrid!” He rubs his hands together. “So, shall we?” He gestures down the hallway.

“Are you just going to leave that poor woman in your room like that?” Ashe asked. “It would be honorable to at least give the woman you have been seducing an explanation.”

“I’m confused,” Sylvain says. “Are we looking for Ingrid or not?”

Dimitri sighs. “Very well. Go put on your shoes on and bid farewell to the lady. We’ll wait for you here.”

“You’ll…wait here? Seems like you’re wasting a lot of time waiting when you could be looking for Ingrid,” Sylvain says. “What if something happened to her?”

Felix is the first to notice something awry. At the very least, he is the first person to voice these suspicions.

“You’re acting weird,” he says. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” Sylvain holds up both hands defensively. “You’re the ones who came to _my_ door demanding that we find Ingrid! So let’s just go already, all right? I’m starting to get worried about her.”

“This is suspicious,” Dedue says.

Ashe strokes his chin. “It is almost as if he does not want us to find Ingrid!”

“Oh, Sweet Saint Seiros!” cries a voice on the other side of other door. The door suddenly flies open.

Ingrid stands there.

Like Sylvain, her hair stands on end, and wrinkles press into her dress. A bruise begins to conspicuously welt at her neck. She crosses her arms, glowering at the boys in front of her.

“What do you want?” she says, breath heaving with fire.

They stare.

They just stare at her.

“How long have you two—” Dimitri begins, but Ingrid cuts him off.

“None of your business. What do you want?”

Dimitri finds that he can no longer form words. Felix frowns, and Ashe has turned a particular vivid shade of beet red.

Ingrid’s foot taps impatiently. “Well? What is this urgent business?”

Dedue snaps out of it first. “His Highness is missing his tack, and we thought that you might know where it is.”

“That’s it?” Ingrid says scornfully. “You make a production of finding me during my time off, dragging me away from my boyfriend, so that you can use me to _find your tack_?”

Dimitri becomes unable to control the stem of words spilling from his lips. “Well, uh, the stable hands always move…well, you always seem to know where….uh, you know what, nevermind.” Dimitri hangs his head in shame. “My utmost apologies, Ingrid. I did not intend to mortify you in this way.”

“Mortify?” Ingrid arches an eyebrow. “Do you think there is something to be mortified about here?”

“Oh please.” Felix rolls his eyes. “You were clearly hiding your relationship.”

“I was keeping private matters private, thank you very much,” Ingrid says. “Which is my right by the way.”

“Of course. We are so sorry, Ingrid.” Ashe bows in rapid succession, his hair a white blur of movement. 

“If anything, you should be apologizing to Sylvain,” she continues. “What kind of friends are you, to accuse him like that?”

Far from embarrassed, Sylvain wears the smug smile of someone proven right. His lips curl inward to suppress the laughter bubbling inside his belly.

“S-sorry, Sylvain!” Ashe stammers. All the color has drained from his face. His hair and complexion share the same ashen shade. 

“Er, yes, Sylvain, I fear that we have abused you terribly,” Dimitri adds. Dedue nods his agreement. “Please accept our apologies.”

Felix just rolls his eyes. “So can you help the boar?”

“ _Really_?” Ingrid snaps her fingers. They all flinch. “Now go.”

The Blue Lions leave in a pile—Ashe running down the hall, followed by Dimitri’s long, swift stride and Dedue’s even-tempered gait. 

Felix lingers. His eyes dart between them. “Him, I understand, but you, Ingrid—”

Ingrid steps forward menacingly, with such a threatening air that Felix, for once, is taken aback. “What is it that you called me, Felix? A floozy?” 

Felix’s face colors. He turns his face away and before he stomps away, he hisses one last “whatever.”

Finally, Sylvain loses it. He bursts into uncontrollable laughter. When he finally manages to breathe again, he says, “So much for keeping private matters private, eh?”

With a heady sigh, Ingrid hooks his shirt by the loose gap in his buttons and tugs him back into the room. Slamming the door shut with her foot, she pushes him back down to the bed. His eyes gleam as she straddles his lap.

“Don’t worry,” she says, pressing a hard kiss to his lips, “I don’t think they’ll be bothering us again any time soon.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the Sylvgrid Discord server for helping me rediscover this old WIP. Look, I never promised you guys it would be clever.
> 
> Come find me on [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/skreev1).


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